Clothes-washer



G. H. SHANNON.

CLOTHES WASHEIL APPLICATION FILED MAR.a0.1911-- Patented Mar; 2,1920.

O O 0 O O O O 0000 O O O O D O O O O O O O O O O O O 0, a o o o a o u o o o o 0 o o o o a o o o o o o o o o 0 0 o o o o o J o o o J o o o 0 o 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o WITNESS: afi

A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANT H SHANNON, OFjSAN' -FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

, CLOT ES-WASHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRANT H. SHANNON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have madea new and useful invention, to wit: Improvements in Clothes-Washers; and- I do-hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

The invention relates particularly to percolating clothes washers in which the steam pressure expansion of the water in the bottom of the boiler elevates the water above the clothes contained in the boiler, through which it percolates with cleansing effect.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a simple and efficient washer of this type easily constructed and vmanipulated, combined and arranged to operate most effectively. I

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention isillustrated in the form considered by me to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claim following the-description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied; y

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings: I

Figure 1 is a side view of a clothes washer in perspective, constructed in accordance with this invention, a portion of the boiler being broken away to disclose the interrelation of parts.

Fig. 2 is a plan view from beneath of the spray manifold of the percolator Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detall view of the locking mechanism of the clothes retaining grid.

The principle involved in washing clothes in water is dissolving and carrying the dirt from the fabric by forcing water through the fabric. This is variously accomplished, either in the primitive manner of pounding the clothes on a rock with a club or the more modern way of rubbing on a wash board, or by means of machinery utilizing cylindrical washers with suitable agitators for forcing the cleansing solution through the fabric. These various methods of cleaning are more or less effective, the hand method being ineflicient and the mechanical method resulting in excessive wear and tear Specification of Lettersv Patent.

Application filed March 30, 1917. Serial No. 158,560.

that the cleansing solution is kept in constant agitation, the dirt or soilure removed from the fabric having no opportunity to settle, and to gain time and to dislodge the stains resulting from a discolored washing solut on, chemicals .are resorted to, all of whlch aredeleterious to the fabric being washed.

solution, whereby a relatively clear solution is always circulating or. being passed through the fabric. Because of theseparation of the dirt fromthe solutionthe fabrics are not discolored thereby andthe n6- on the fabric, withthe added disadvantage cessity for bleaching and caustic elements is obviated. v I

' In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes a conventional wash boiler 1 of any desired shape, having a removable cover 2 fitted thereto. Into this boiler is removably fitted a false bottom 3 having the depending flange 4 around the edge resting on the bottom of theboilerfand raising the false bottom the desired distance above the bottom ofthe boiler, the false bottom being of such dimension that the flange 4 rests away from the wall of the boiler 1, providing a space between said flange and the boiler wall. tom and its'flange resting on the bottom'of the boiler provide a receptacle separate from the boiler proper for the generation of steam. The conical tubular risers 5 and 6 are hermetically fixed in openings in the false bottom 3, preferably at opposite ends The upper ends of these taof the boiler. pered risers fit into the tapered elbows 7 and 8, leading into the spray chambers 9 and 10 respectively. These spray chambers extent across the greater portion of the length and breadth of the boiler, and pref erably are divided longitudinally into two distinct spray chambers as indicated in Fig. 2, this form being found to accomplish a better distribution of the water than if both discharges 7 and 8 ledinto a single spray chamber.

The openings indicated in the spray chamber in Fig. 2 for better illustration, are out of proportion to their actual size, being in actual practice of less area than the size in- The false botdicated in Fig. 2 and about five hundred in entire cleansing of ordinary household launnumber for the conventional domestic boiler.

The grid frame 12 is supplied with a pivot 13 adapted to engage holes in the bracket 14 fixed to one of the risers 6, the oppos te end of the grid provided with a slidable pivot 15 engaging 'holes in the bracket 15 fixed to the r1ser on the opposite side, the bolt being guided by the plate 17 fixed thereto and having holes engaging the grid bars 18-18. The holes in the brackets 14 and 15 provide vertical adjustment for the grid 12 for the purpose of clamping the clothes between the grid and the false bottom 3.

This washer operates substantially as follows:

The clothes or fabric to be washed are:

placed in the boiler on top of the false b0ttom 3 and clamped in position by the grid 12, sufficient water is thenplaoed within the boiler to more than cover the false bottom 3.

The boiler is then set on the stove and the temperature of the Water raised and maintained at boiling point. The steam generated beneath the false bottom 3 forces the water up the risers 5 and 6 and into the spray chambers 9 and 10 from which it sprays back on top of the clothes beneath the grid 12, percolating therethrough and dislodging any soilure'therein. The water is fortified by any suitable neutral soapstrong soap being unnecessary-to increase the cleansing effect. The excess of steam pressure beneath the false bottom 3 escapes therefrom through the openings 19 distributed throughout the area of the false bottom. The scalding steam forcing. its way up through the fabric, thoroughly cleanses and sterilizes the fabric and cooperating with the water that is percolating therethrough accomplishes the desired eifect.

. 'Practice has demonstrated that 30 to 35 minutes of this boiling, steaming and percolating operation is suflicient to accomplish dry, without the necessity for rubbing or the use of cleansing-chemicals other than mild soap, the saving in wear and tear on the fabric due to mechanical operations or rubbing is sufficiently manifest. Practice has proven that dirt and foreign matter dislodged from the clothes settles in the bottom of the boiler between the walls thereof and the flange 4, and on the bottom of the boiler between it and the false bottom 3. Since the horizontalcross-section of the risers 5 and 6 decreases from their bottoms to their tops,

the rate of upward flow must increase and this increased rate of flow will thus precipitate any therein.

To relieve any excessive steam pressure in the boiler I provide the ventilator 20 in the lid 2. The ventilator is slidable between the guides 21-21 by means of a convenient handle 22, and is provided with the openings 23 registering with the openings 25 provided in the. cover 2.

Having thus described this invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

In a clothes washer, a boiler; a perforated false bottom spaced above the bottom of said boiler and having a depending flange spaced laterally from the sides of said boiler; independent spray chamhers arranged parallel longitudinally near the top of said boiler on opposite sides of the center thereof; risers at opposite ends of said false bottom and comdirt or foreign matter suspended inunicating with thespace beneath same and connected at their tops with the opposite ends of said spray chambers respectively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 24th day of March, 1917.

I GRANT H. SHANNON.

In presence of- A. J. HENRY. 

